Coming Home
by ForbiddenFruits
Summary: A one-shot from Hook's perspective when he goes to get Emma at the end of 3x11


Hook was nervous. As a captain and a pirate, Hook generally prided himself on being able to maintain a level head under any circumstances, no matter how troubling. He had faced brigands, sea serpents, the royal armada, and Pan with a steady hand and an eager heart. Leave it to the Swan girl to be the one thing he wasn't immune to.

Bouncing up and down on his toes, Hook waited in front of the elevator for all of three seconds before deciding to just take the stairs. Who cares if it is fourteen floors up? Perhaps he could run off some of his nervous energy. He ran up the first several flights of stairs before slowing to a brisk climb.

The past year hadn't been easy on him. When the spell overtook everyone behind city line and they had been sent back home, things got a bit crazy for a while there. The kingdom was in disarray. There was a power struggle for who deserved to rule the kingdoms. The people found that they didn't quite fit into the roles they had had before Storybrooke. An evil queen had learned of the power of a mother's love and allowed it to change her entire person ,before losing the one person who had changed her. The righteous queen had discovered that things are not always as black and white as they seem and that even the best people could have a sliver of darkness inside their hearts. A young boy, now a man, had finally been shown a father's love and the ultimate sacrifice while a young woman grieved for the love she had lost. And a pirate with a thirst for revenge had let go of his desire for revenge for his first love and opened his heart once more to true love, only to have it ripped away from him in the cruelest way possible. No, the past year hadn't been easy on anyone.

And now the kingdom and the lives of everyone there was in trouble once more. After everything that had happened, no one was expecting an attack from a villain that had been left behind when the first curse overtook the land. The wicked witch of the west had caught them all by surprise, cursing everyone who had found true love. Anyone who was truly in love and together with their love had been placed under a sleeping spell. Snow and Charming, Grumpy and Nora, Cinderella and Prince Thomas, Ariel and Eric—all had fallen victim to the sleeping curse. Initially, they had tried to fight back, with Regina leading the attack. The Wicked Witch, however, proved to be too strong to defeat alone. Without the others, those without true love had been forced into hiding. For months, they had hidden in the woods, gaining reconnaissance and growing stronger. After nearly three months, an opportunity had risen, and they had managed to sneak Regina into the dungeon where the Wicked Witch of the West was keeping all of the cursed couples. Yet, no matter what she did, she could not break the curse.

After a long discussion with the blue fairy, a possible solution was determined. According to the blue fairy, since Swan was the product of True Love's Kiss, it was possible that she would be immune to the spell and could lift it by reuniting her with her parents. That was the easy part. Figuring out a way to return to Swan's land, however, proved much more difficult. They tried countless spells and searched numerous possible leads only to discover they were all dead ends. Eventually though by a miraculous set of circumstances, they managed to find two magic beans—one for the journey there and one for the journey back.

Now it was just a matter of who would travel to get Swan. Of course both he and Neal had volunteered to do it immediately. Arguments were thrown back and forth for almost a full day until the Blue Fairy put a stop to it by demanding an end to the fighting and calling a vote amongst their rag tag group of revolutionaries for who thought that Hook or Neal should go to Emma. It had been close. Neal had the support of Dr. Hopper, four of the Dwarves, Granny, and Geppetto, while Hook had been backed by two of the Dwarves, Regina (surprisingly), Belle, Red, Anton, Dr. Whale, and Tinkerbell. Tink had been his biggest supporter, as she had said right from the start, "I know true love when I see it."

Begrudgingly, Neal had backed down and agreed to let Hook go get Emma. Plans were put into place. Every detail had been worked out, except for one—what exactly he would say to Swan to get her to remember. True Love's Kiss was a possibility (a possibility that Neal had laughed at when it was mentioned) as was numerous spells and potions. However, he still had no idea what to say to her.

Ignoring the churning in his stomach, Hook strode to the door to her and Henry's apartment and knocked raptly on the door three times.

_Knock._

_ Knock._

_ Knock._

He waited for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and knocked again.

_Knock._

_ Knock._

_ Knock._

_ Knock._

He could hear her footsteps coming toward the door. His breathing was shallow. His heart was beating out of his chest. Anticipation flooded his body.

The door swung open.

Seeing her for the first time in a year felt indescribable. It was as if, at that moment, every atom in his body hurt. Pain at how much he had missed her over the past year. Pain over the fact that he thought he had lost her forever. At the same time, he felt as if he were flying. This was Swan, and he was here with her, and he knew that everything would be okay. And lastly, relief. For months upon months he had felt as if he were only half alive—as if he was just watching life and not truly partaking in it. When her eyes met his, it felt like a part of him snapped back together. She made him whole again.

He couldn't have controlled the smile that broke out across his face even if he had wanted to.

"Swan," he breathed in relief.

She stared at him for a moment. Did she remember him? Was it possible that Regina's spell to change Swan's memories hadn't worked? Hope soared in his body as he took a step forward.

"At last…"

Swan's hand stopped him cold. Confusion covered her face.

"Whoa, do I know you?"

So she didn't remember him. He tried to ignore the disappointment in his chest. He had a job to do.

"Look, I need your help. Something's happened—something terrible. Your family is in trouble."

"My family's right here. Who are you?"

The man who is so deeply in love with you. The man who you learned to trust despite every wicked thing he had ever done. The man who you taught to open up his heart and love again. The man who you irrevocably changed.

"An old friend," he answered simply.

And now was his chance. Now was his chance to remind Emma of who she was as a person and of who she was to him. Now was his chance to do the one thing he had been thinking about and dreaming about for months—the only thought that kept him sane during the more difficult parts of the past year.

"Look, I know you can't remember me, but I can make you."

He surged forward, his lips meeting hers as he tenderly cusped the back of her neck. For one brief moment, he thought it worked as her pliant lips cupped around his. His hopes were crushed, however, when she kneed him in his manhood. Even still, he couldn't help but laugh as he grimaced in pain. True Love's Kiss might not have made Swan remember, but this was still his Swan. This was the Swan who had left him handcuffed in a giant's house because she couldn't take a chance that she was wrong about him. This was the Swan who interrogated and threatened him while he was handcuffed to a hospital bed with broken ribs. This was the Swan who didn't put up with his and Neal's fighting when she told them that if she had to choose, she would choose Henry. Because that was the difference between him and Neal. Neal loved the person she showed to everyone else—the person who was strong and confident. Hook loved the person she was at her worst—the person who would lie and deceive and threaten to protect herself and those she loved. He and Swan were the same.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, although Hook could not hear any anger in her voice—only confusion.

Hook groaned in pain.

"Long shot. I had to try. I was hoping you felt as I did."

Swan moved to shut the door.

"All you're gonna feel is the handcuffs when I call the cops."

It's always handcuffs with that girl. Hook couldn't let her go. She had to listen to him. She had to let him explain it and make her understand.

"I know this seems crazy. You have to listen to me! You have to remem—"

The door slammed shut in his face. He collapsed on the floor in front of the door. Slamming his head against the wall behind him, he groaned. That had not gone at all how he had wanted it to. Yet as terrible he felt about the fact that his first attempt had utterly failed, he couldn't help the joy that was growing in his chest. He was here with Emma. No, she may not remember him, but that didn't matter. They were here together. He would figure out a way to restore her memory. He had said once that when it came to Swan, he was in it for the long haul. And he meant every word.


End file.
